Members troyri Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 How are you storing your lights in the trailer? Leaving them mounted to the truss and hanging them or putting the lights in a case and just hanging the truss? I really like the idea of leaving everything together, just not sure exactly how to do it without them getting beat around. Pics would be great also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Axisplayer Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 I do it both ways regularly. My back truss has P38s and MegaBars clamped inside the truss, so they travel fine. Wiring is zip tied to the truss frames to make it as snag proof as possible, and I have a twist lock for power to the truss that comes off on one end of the truss. The sections each have a twist lock to connect AC and the DMX cables were arranged to have a connection at each truss joint. For front truss or trees, I have the LED cans mounted to T bars using clamps. I also mounted a quad box using clamps to the T. If I need trees, set the T on top. If I need truss in front, I either mount the T bars via clamps to the truss, or if I have 15 minutes I can unclamp all the lights and power and rehang them on the truss. I don't use front truss nearly as often as stands so this works fine for me. The T bars live on top of my subs in my trailer. They stand on the can fronts, on one side of the trailer which braces them upright. I tie the center T to the trailer with one strap so it doesn't fall over in transit. Cans do show some wear after almost 8 years of this, but unless I were to get ATAs for them, any other method would cause some wear also. All my scanners and moving heads do have ATA cases. The only uncased lights are either IN the truss, or on the T bars so it isn't bad and setup is fairly quick this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 Depending on how much truss you have, and the amount of room in your trailer, you might consider a smaller version of the "meat racks" used by touring shows. Essentially a meat rack is a wheeled frame from which the pre-hung bars or truss sections are hung on a frame. The rack is framed so that it forms a protective cage that also allows a better pack. Besides being on wheels, you get to stack the bars/truss vertically, saving some space. I guess that another option is to fabricate an internal frame inside the trailer to hang the truss across the roof, using the frame to carry the weight of the truss and instruments. One inch square tubing would probably be adequate, unless you have movers hung. I wouldn't leave a mover mounted for transport. Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members troyri Posted April 30, 2012 Author Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 We only have 2 T-bars with 3 pucks each and 1-10' truss with 8 Par 38 Tri's mounted to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 I do it both ways regularly. My back truss has P38s and MegaBars clamped inside the truss, so they travel fine. Wiring is zip tied to the truss frames to make it as snag proof as possible, and I have a twist lock for power to the truss that comes off on one end of the truss. The sections each have a twist lock to connect AC and the DMX cables were arranged to have a connection at each truss joint.For front truss or trees, I have the LED cans mounted to T bars using clamps. I also mounted a quad box using clamps to the T. If I need trees, set the T on top. If I need truss in front, I either mount the T bars via clamps to the truss, or if I have 15 minutes I can unclamp all the lights and power and rehang them on the truss. I don't use front truss nearly as often as stands so this works fine for me. The T bars live on top of my subs in my trailer. They stand on the can fronts, on one side of the trailer which braces them upright. I tie the center T to the trailer with one strap so it doesn't fall over in transit. Cans do show some wear after almost 8 years of this, but unless I were to get ATAs for them, any other method would cause some wear also.All my scanners and moving heads do have ATA cases. The only uncased lights are either IN the truss, or on the T bars so it isn't bad and setup is fairly quick this way. Pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members W. M. Hellinger Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 Depending on how much truss you have, and the amount of room in your trailer, you might consider a smaller version of the "meat racks" used by touring shows. That's what I use to store and transport my par cans... "meat racks"... even though I don't tour. I've found the meat racks work extremely well from the standpoints of efficent use of cubic feet, protection of the par cans & associated socapex bars, cost effectiveness, and ease of use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 If you build (have built) a meat rack, be sure to mount an extra set of casters at midpoint, so you don't high-center the rack on the ramp going in and out of your trailer. 10 feet is pretty long. Be sure to also think about doorway width and height into your venues vs. the size and stabilty (top heaviness) of the meat rack. Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stangconv Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 Where do you get said meat racks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 You fabricate them to your requirements. (Or have somebody make them.) One inch square steel tubing is fairly cheap and is easy to weld. A bit of plate for caster mounts, and a little angle iron used to cradle the ends of the truss. I have seen them with pipe as well, for use with "gator" clamps, too. I don't recall aluminum meat racks, but I suspect some exist (for somebody who has big bucks and needs to save weight while touring). I'm sure that there is somebody in the NYC area that makes them, but it is pretty simple welding to do/have done locally. Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members abzurd Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 So probably not super helpful for your purposes, but I have 3 bars with 2 panels each of 1W LED's (45 LED's per panel). I cut down a T bar and put them in a padded Gator bag that's made for a 49 key keyboard. I have a 3 receptacle outlet lashed to each bar to accommodate mounting the dance lights and the main power cables is kept in an outside pocket of each bag. I've replaced the T joint with a Gibraltar hasp type bracket used on drum racks. No, it's not the uberest of protection for the lights, but it's been adequate and worked well for over 100 shows so far. The bags are stacked and strapped to the "light case" which has the dance lighting, black scrim, DMX cables, etc. Here's one used as a back light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stangconv Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 Ok pics of your meat racks! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Miko Man Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 Ok pics of your meat racks! Lol Sorry, big boy, no pics of my meat rack. It's not that kind of forum! :poke: Actually, I don't have any of my own. I've rolled lots of them off and on to trucks, but I don't have any photos. I wonder if a big rental house (like 4 Wall) might have some on their website. Mark H might be able to post a pic or two. Mark C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members StratGuy22 Posted April 30, 2012 Members Share Posted April 30, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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